Optimizing feed efficiency in a beef herd on small family farms in Lee County is a must for beef producers in become sustainable. The majority of the beef producers in Lee County have limited access to land to operate their beef herds, so they need to utilize the land they have available, in the most efficient ways. The lee County Extension service has addressed this issue with programs on the production on corn silage as a means of producing feed for their beef herds. By utilizing corn silage as a feed for their beef herds it allows producers to produce more tons of feed per acre, as opposed to many other feeds.  Corn silage also give the producers an advantage in feed quality such as a good energy source in the cold winter months when the energy needs for the beef cows are at their highest demands.

As a result of the programming efforts, 4 new farmers have implemented corn silage into their operation. All four has reported increased profits due to implementing the corn silage. Net profits that the four farmers have reported is a total of $2,500.00.